CAG slams Arunachal govt for anomalies in border dev plan

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has criticised the Arunachal Pradesh government for anomalies in the implementation of Border Area Development Programme (BADP) in the state.

The BADP was started in the country during the 7th Plan period (1985-1990) for two reasons - balanced development of sensitive border areas through adequate provision of infrastructure facilities, and promoting a sense of security among the local population residing in border areas.

During the 9th Plan (1997-2002), the programme was extended to several other states of the country including Arunachal Pradesh which shares 5,830 kilometers long border with three countries - Myanmar, China and Bhutan.

The CAG report said priority was not given to villages situated within 0-10 kilometers from the international border as per the guideline.

It said 340 schemes - 186 in Tawang district and 154 in Upper Subansiri - were taken up in villages situated between 10 to 23.75 kilometers from the international border.

"In West Siang district, 114 schemes were implemented in 31 villages located beyond 50 kilometers of the border," the report said.

During 2012-17, there was shortfall in release of central share to the extent of Rs 34.40 crore and state share of Rs 11.43 crore.

The report said Rs 355.35 crore received from the Centre for the scheme was parked by the state government for a period of one to 23 months.

"Monitoring mechanism was inadequate and no high ranking state nodal officers were appointed during the five-year period and no national quality monitors from the Centre had inspected any BADP schemes during the audit period," the report pointed out.

The report criticised the government for wasteful and doubtful expenditures and creating idle assets under the BADP.